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Pennsylvania operators fined for allowing bets on unapproved sporting event

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has fined Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association and BetMGM for accepting bets on an unapproved sporting event.

The sanction was confirmed after the regulator approved a consent agreement presented by the Board’s Office of Enforcement Counsel (OEC).

The agreement was the result of negotiations between OEC and Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association, operator of Hollywood Casino Morgantown in Berks County, and its sports betting partner BetMGM.

The $7,500 fine was levied when BetMGM accepted and paid out wagers on the Victor Belfort v Evander Holyfield boxing contest on 11 September 2021 after the PGCB said that it had “specifically notified all operators that wagering on this event would not be permitted”.

In total, 76 wagers were accepted by BetMGM, according to the watchdog.

Last month, the PGCB fined Parx Casino $10,000for allowing an 18-year-old to access the casino and gamble at gaming tables.

The regulator said casino ..

December 15, 2022

Vermont report calls for legal betting, but no more than six licences

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Vermont’s 2022 Sports Betting Committee has called for sports betting to be legalised in the state, but with limited licences issued by a request for proposals.

The committee report outlines what the implementation of sports betting could look like in Vermont, detailing reasons why sports betting could be beneficial for the state.

It contains six core recommendations, beginning with the implementation of a legalised, state-controlled sports betting market.

A state-controlled market would mean that the state of Vermont would control how many licences are given out. In the report, the Committee states that there should be “minimum of two but not more than six” operators permitted to offer sports betting in Vermont.

In terms of the bidding process for licences, the Committee recommends that it should “be structured to be similar to New Hampshire or New York,” two states notable for high tax rates.

Read the full story on iGB North America

December 14, 2022

Customer experience: what is working for operators and affiliates?

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

New consumer research from Betting Hero shows product and service innovation is effective in improving customer loyalty. But the industry still has a long way to go as bettors seek improved customer experience.

Welcome to the final episode of our five-part consumer insight series designed to outline and challenge the status quo of customer experience, acquisition, retention and development efforts across the leading sportsbook operators and affiliates in North America.

In the first two episodes, we explored the potential impact on customer loyalty due to the challenges encountered by consumers when attempting to register for a new account, as well as the day-to-day frustrations faced by consumers following their initial account setup.

In episodes three and four we dove deeper on the actual needs and wants of consumers when selecting their app of choice and the actionable steps that can be taken by operators and affiliates to drive better engagement and ultimately loyalty.

In this ..

December 13, 2022

PointsBet nominates new non-executive director to board

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

PointsBet has nominated William Grounds to its board as an independent non-executive director, in line with its recent activity in the US market.

Grounds previously served as president and chief operating officer of Infinity World Development Corp, an affiliate of Dubai World. Here, he headed up the $7bn (£5.69bn/€6.64bn) investment in CityCenter Resort & Casino in Las Vegas with joint venture partner MGM Resorts International.

He also served as a non-executive director of MGM Resorts International between 2013 and 2021. In this time, the BetMGM venture with Entain was formed after the repeal of PASPA. MGM said this gave Grounds a deep understanding of the igaming market with experience in ongoing governance and oversight of strategy and execution.

He has also been licensed in a number of jurisdictions in the United States.

The appointment comes after the Australia-founded bookmaker expanded its operations in the US igaming market. The company intends to rapidly grow its already p..

December 13, 2022

ITIA bans two French tennis players for life over match-fixing

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has issued life bans to French tennis players Jules Okala and Mick Lescure following investigations into multiple incidents of match-fixing dating back to 2014.

Okala, whose highest ATP ranking was 338, was found guilty of seven match fixing charges, while Lescure, who had an ATP ranking high of 487, was found guilty of eight charges.

The ITIA also said the players have both been part of wider law enforcement investigations in France and Belgium.

The sanctions mean both players are permanently prohibited from playing in or attending any tennis event sanctioned by the governing bodies of tennis. Okala was also issued with a $15,000 (£12,220/€14,214) fine and Lescure was fined $40,000.

In the case of Okala, the player was found guilty of several breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP), including three counts of section D.2.a.i of the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018 TACPs. These sections related to the requirement for a playe..

December 12, 2022

PMU aims to increase stakes by €1bn by 2025

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

French horse racing operator Pari-Mutuel Urbain (PMU) announced a three-year strategic vision to grow its annual stakes by €1bn and to increase its total number of customers to four million.

The business outlined a series of transformations for the company in the period including a “global approach” to PMU’s growth, the deployment of new technology and the development of marketing channels.

“By 2025, PMU will write a new page in its business plan,” said PMU managing director Emmanuelle Malecaze-Doublet. “Our objective of generating €1bn in additional stakes in 2025 and of having more than four million customers is ambitious and based on a collective spirit of conquest. During this period, PMU will develop its employer brand and its engagement policy to attract and retain talent.”

pmu aims to exceed four million total customers by 2025

Malecaze-Doublet elaborated on the specific loci within the business that would be a focus for transformation.

“The transformation of the company w..

December 12, 2022

Winning at wagering

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

In his latest betting investment column, Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC looks at betting syndicates. While most are closed to external investment, he says that there are emerging syndicates that represent intriguing opportunities.

In the first century, Pliny the Elder wrote: “We are so much at the mercy of chance that chance is our god.”

Before the Renaissance, chance was associated with religion and fate rather than being a well studied area of science. During the Renaissance, mathematicians developed the field of probability, the foundation of risk management used by bookmakers and professional bettors.

Source: Pinnacle.

The syndicates

While professional betting is a rarely discussed and underinvested part of the wagering industry, it is hugely important and highly cash generative.

The world’s largest betting syndicates wager billions of dollars each year by exploiting a unique “edge” across sports and horse racing. Based on publicly available information, some of the larges..

December 9, 2022

Norway extends Norsk Rikstoto monopoly for 10 more years

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

The government of Norway has extended Norsk Rikstoto’s exclusive licence to offer bets on horse racing for another 10 years.

Norway remains one of the last European countries with a state gambling monopoly. Lottery Norsk Tipping is the only body permitted to offer online casino gaming, while Norsk Rikstoto has the exclusive rights to take bets on horse racing.

Norway remains one of the last European countries with a state gambling monopoly

The government said that the monopoly system is necessary because the types of games offered by Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto “have high prizes, high turnover or a high risk of creating gambling problems”.

Norsk Rikstoto’s monopoly will now last at least 10 more years, as the government announced that its licence would be extended until at least the end of 2032.

Minister for culture and equality, Anette Trettebergstuen, said that she felt that Norsk Tipping understood its role as a monopoly operator and that its goals were aligned with the go..

December 9, 2022

Massachusetts regulator awards first sports betting licence to Encore Boston Harbor

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Wynn Resorts’ Encore Boston Harbor has become the first operator to secure a new sports betting licence from the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC).

The Category 1 Sports Wagering Operator licence will allow Encore to operate in-person sports betting at its casino property, as well as on up to two online platforms.

Encore must now secure a certificate of operations and meet additional conditions in order to launch sports betting.

Read the full story on iGB North America

December 9, 2022

Kambi scores sports betting deal with Puerto Rico’s LMG Gaming

Sports Betting News Bookiecity

Sports betting solutions provider Kambi Group has agreed to provide its sportsbook product to LMG Gaming (LMGG), an entity owned by Puerto Rican media business Liberman Media Group (LMG).

Under the deal, LMGG’s ApuestaPR betting brand will roll out the Kambi sportsbook initially on mobile, with plans to also launch retail sports betting through a network of outlets throughout Puerto Rico.

ApuestaPR will also make use of Kambi’s APIs and marketing tools, as well as utilise a range of marketing opportunities on LMG’s Teleonce television network.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

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